A Review of Doris Lessing's Flight

The short story Flight is written by Doris Lessing about a old man learning of

letting go of his granddaughter as she grows into an adult and is about to get

married.

The story is told in an omniscient third person point of view and this enables

us to see into the minds of all characters, which inturn help us to understand

their feelings and attitudes. When story are told in an omniscient way, the

readers will have a better understanding of what is going on in the story. This

story not only described what the old man is feeling, but also other characters.

The old man feels that his youngest grandaughter is still much too young to be

married and is not willing to let go of her. He 's attitude seems grumpy but

deep down inside it hurt him very much to see his grandaughter growing up and

with her boyfriend Steve. From the describtion we had for this old man, we can

understand much better what he feels. Then, this story have focused a bit closer

to the grandaughter's mother and her point of view on her daughter's marrige,

which she is happy with. The omniscient positions readers to a god-like position

which will let us have a better understanding of what the character feels, and

also all the `conflict' the character is experiencing and feeling.

The characters's point of view are important in revealing the main theme of this

story which is learning to let go. By understanding the characters's point of

view, we are able to decide what main theme is about.

Firstly, the story have taken us a `tour' in the old man's position which

enabled us to understands what he is feeling. Even seeing that his grand-

daughter is no longer the cute little girl anymore, he still couldn't accpet the

fact that she has grown up and is starting a family of her own. He feels alone,

and hopeless. He believe that after she gets married, nothing will ever be the

same again. She won't keep him as company anymore and he will only have his

pigeons. But the young girl's mother have a totally different point of view as

she believes that her daughter have found a good home and she is old enough to

get married. As for the young girl herself, she feels nothing will ever change

even if she got married. She will always love her grand father. As all of the

character's point of view are revealed, we have a more clarified view of the

theme of this story.